Become What You Want to Be...

Let me tell you about a little girl who was born into a very poor
family in a shack in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of
22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful.
When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever
- a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left
leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in
having a mother who encouraged her.
Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that
despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with
her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith,
persistence, courage and and indomitable spirit.
So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and
she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally.
In four years, she developed a rhytmic stride, which was a medical
wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she
would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. Now, what could
she mean - be a runner with a leg like that?
At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last - way, way last. She
entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last.
Everyone begged her quit! However, one day, she came in next to last.
And then there came a day when she won a rece. From then on, Wilma
Rudolph won every race that she entered.
Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named
Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that
she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained
her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.
There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a
German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in
the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the
200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals.
Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once
again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs
with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma,
she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down
the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and
nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three
Olympic gold medals.

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